Whenever our garden starts to look troubled, the trees begin lifeless, and the grass starts to look dead, we start to panic and begin hydrating them. All we do is pull up the hose and start hydrating them as if the only thing that is required in them is water! While sometimes, this hydration helps, as the only element lacking in them is water. But this is not always the case. How many times have you wondered that it can be due to the inappropriate pH of the soil in your garden? When the soil turns unhealthy, no amount of water can save your beloved plants. This is why it is important to keep an eye on the pH level of soil from your garden.
How To Check Soil pH?
It is important that the pH of soil is at an optimal level in order to support the appropriate growth of plants. Testing the pH of the soil is essential to determine which plants can grow in the soil you have. You can get your garden soil checked at any soil testing laboratory near you. While there are ways with which you can check the pH of your garden soil, the best way is to get it checked at a soil testing laboratory. With the best soil testing laboratory in India, you can get the most accurate results and you can rely upon their results without a doubt.
What Should be the Ideal Soil pH?
For a pH scale, 7 is neutral. Anything below 7 is acidic and anything above 7 is basic or alkaline. It is essential for the soil to be near to neutral. The ideal range for your garden soil should be 6.0 to 7.2. It is vital for the soil to have a balanced pH level so that the plants are able to take up nutrients without any hindrance.
What if Soil is:
Too Basic: When you send your garden soil to a soil testing laboratory and the pH is much above 7 then your soil is too basic. In such a case, one should add sulfur-based amendments to reduce the pH levels of the soil.
Too Acidic: When the results of the pH testing come on the acidic side, you need to add lime-based amendments to your garden soil to balance the pH of your garden soil. You can also use wood ash.
Plant growth depends upon various factors and having a balanced pH is one of them. Make sure that your garden soil has a balanced pH to support optimal plant growth.
